Exclusive Monsters of Folk video: 'The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me'

What better way to wile away your day than with the following selection from the Monsters of Folk? Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes fame), M. Ward (a.k.a. M. Ward), and Mike Mogis (their kindly bespectacled producer friend) have joined together to form one peaceful, sonically-pleasing unit, and as demonstrated by this video — shot by Meiert Avis at Shangri-la Studios in Malibu this August — theirs is an eclectic yet simple charm. It is also quite manly. And scruffy.

Enjoy the video, and as a bonus, stay tuned after the jump for a segment we’ll call “Monsters on Monsters” — the four men bromantically discussing what each of their compadres brings to the supergroup table. Then let us know in the comments: Who’s feelin’ it, Mixers?

MONSTERS ON MONSTERS

JIM JAMES ON MIKE MOGIS Michael Mogis brings a keen ear, keen intellect, keen wit. I think he just does a really good job of choosing soundscapes, constructing soundscapes, choosing how things should be set up and miked. He’s a great player, can really play anything, including the ladies. I think Mogis is the glue that holds the Monsters together.

MIKE MOGIS ON M. WARD Matt is this transcendental songwriter. I’ve worked with him, mixing his own records, and just learning some of his sensibilities — the less is more sort of musical aesthetic. At times, you end up throwing stuff on when building a track and you lose a little perspective, and I think he can remind you what the most important things in songs are. Keep you humble. Primarily the songwriting, though. It’s f—ing top notch.

M. WARD ON CONOR OBERST I’ve been a fan of Conor’s since I first heard his music in 2000, 2001. And his lyricism has been an inspiration since day one, so it’s incredible to be able to work in the studio with someone who you can trust with anything. The biggest thing is he approaches music with a tremendous heart, and a tremendous passion, and that’s a constant inspiration.

CONOR OBERST ON JIM JAMES Jim’s a lot of things. He’s a handsome son of a bitch, first off. He’s kind of what we like to call our total package. I love his songwriting, I love how he just thinks outside the box, refuses to do anything the same way twice. A lot of people will take a well-worn path, and he chooses the path least traveled, which I really admire. He’s a true explorer of sound. And I think his lyrics are always interesting, I think he’s one of the most naturally gifted singers that I’ve ever been around. His sense of harmony is pretty much unmatched. And he’s handsome, did I say that? And he’s a sick guitar player, and pretty much all around bad dude.